They made big spashes a number of years ago about their new 63', then 51'. I imagine they had some scale models in the Monaco Show as they were so close by. "Welcome to SophieYachts and prepare yourself... to live life on a large scale. Headquartered in Monaco-Monte Carlo, with shipyards in China, SophieYachts designs, produces, and markets innovative CATAMARAN MOTOR YACHTS" ...their website is still up SOPHIE YACHTS-Catamaran Motor Yachts : Powercats : Multi-hulls : Power catamarans : Power Cats But the last news was their first vessel (a 63') was launched in China, and was to be delivered to an American client....that was a few years ago? Any word on this vessel,.... or company??
I have no idea of what happened to this project, but Richard Hein has moved on to VegaYachts also located in Monaco and also a website without any real yachts to show..?
If it is what I think it is they fell out with their customers (3) and the half-finished boats have been auctioned off about 3 years ago. The owners have finished them and they are moored here. I'll send you some pics when I have the opportunity to take some. Here's the red hull up for sale
Thanks very much, I would like to see them...finished? I don't think that Red One you sighted is the same vessel?....quite a different design from those bulb bows, straight superstructure, roof lines, etc.
There's 3 of them and they are for 90% the same. The red one has a bulb bow the others not. I believe 2 of the 3 got completely finished by the owners. I think they are the boats you are talking about. The owners have been in legal battle with the yard for quite some time after which they got auctioned off. The outcome was completely different than what was promised to the original owners. It could be that the boats I'm talking about are not the one you mean but there are not to many power cats of this size build around that time in China as far as I know.
Journey 47' LR cat Here is another powercat project that has China builders. I hope they have better luck. It looks like a nice design, even while I question those 'Z' shaped bows. Journey Catamarans | Isn't it time to start yours? And that red one you referenced above appears to have those same Z-shaped bows.
I think this design (quoted as Canadian) is really quite different than the Sophie design. Besides had they built 3 vessels I would have thought that would be on their website ??....in the news section....as they seemed quite proud of that website. Could those 3 boats be related to John Winter's powercat project there in China? I'm wondering what has become of his project?
Looking further into that red cat via the broker's listing, it came from Trawler Cat Marine. Here's that particular Red Cat. I'm not familiar with them.
Here's a finished one: Luxury Catamaran: SOPHIE 63 LUXURY POWER CATAMARAN Don't know if the yard or the owner finished it but I think it's a nice looking yacht.
The 'Yachtworld link' provided on that webpage doesn't work,...but I did find this one: 2008 Jet Tern Marine Sophie Yachts Power Boat For Sale - www.************** I wonder if Jet Tern Marine was the original builder Sophie yachts chose....and if so why the original buyer failed to follow thru with his purchase? Didn't Carl say the Journey 47 was also being built by Jet Tern??
Yes it does appear so according to Sophie's website SOPHIE YACHTS So the question is why does it seem that a fair number of these various vessels being built in Chinese yards get rejected by their contracted buyers, and that subsequently puts the developers of these concepts into hard times, or out of business?? Is it just the economic times we are in that have these buyers backing out., or are there other factors at play. I suspect both. Meanwhile the Chinese builder assumes ownership of the vessel (and maybe the project), and then tries to sell it to another unsuspecting buyer??
I'm not familiar with this case but I have heard of a number of cases where the builder could just not deliver the required quality. Owners are lured in with attractive prices and builders do an honest attempt of building to standard but just can't deliver because they haven't got the knowledge. Jet Tern does deliver the quality that is accepted by many buyers but they still haven't been able to get CE certification on their boats.
Sophie Yacht situation? Here is what a broker quoted to me as the situation with the Sophie vessel. She was finished in 2009 for a guy in Puerto Rico who bailed out as he was short in money. In the mean time he had paid more than 50% of the contract price So Selene decided to keep the boat for sea trials and boat shows..She was modified also in order to reach 25 knots Maybe the contracted client did bail, but weren't the principles of Sophie Yachts still involved in their project? And didn't they possibly have a second buyer in the wings? Or did they get squeezed out by the builder? If Selene is going to do some marketing (boat shows quoted), I wonder who owns and operates the original Sophie website? ...all sounds a bit fishy. Shame as it is a nice vessel concept.
The owner of JetTern is not known for his high ethical standards when it comes to intellectual property and copyright etc.
And just today another broker from HK says, I have just spoken to a friend who runs a ship yard in China. He says that Jet Turn who were building the Cat for Sophie yachts (according to their web site) only built one vessel which was rejected by the owner.